London Grammar - 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing'

London Grammar - 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing'

Echoed and haunted trio return with more subdued second album

6/10

When London Grammar released their now groundbreaking debut album 'If You Wait' back in 2013, the sound that they managed to create was something truly remarkable. Mixing a strong, almost operatic vocal performance with trip-hop inspired electronics gave them a niche that was almost incomparable. Now four years on and with little noise coming from the trio in that time, the band return with their second studio album 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing', a record that looks to deliver more of what we were expecting.

With frontwoman Hannah Reid delivering yet another powerful performance, this sophomore release sees the band adopt much of the same style as its predecessor, making it more of a continuation than a progression. Yet despite the very clear musical resonance with their former full-length, this new release seems to lack a lot of the ambition of the first. The band seem to have slipped into a comfort zone within their style, and have simply delivered a mild imitation of their debut.

While their are still plenty of standout cuts on the album, 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing' never really gets going like it should. Consistently stuck in second gear throughout, the three-piece have simply made a shadow of their previous record that manages to lose the potential we were hoping for.